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I purchased a £10 voucher from Chester shop,they closed down a couldn't,t be bother to reply to my letter even trio I had sent it recorded, Shame in you,from Mrs B Jones. Don,t think they even deserve half a star actually,,

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After hearing so much about this new treatment me and a friend visited the Leeds store for a half hour pedicure. For a treatment that is ment to be relaxing it is far from it in that store! The staff were quite rude due to them been very busy, there was a dead fish in one of the tanks and we felt that we were rushed in and out! We since have tried another spa in Leeds called Soak Aquatic Spa and the whole experience was fantastic, plus they do a drying service and cream massage for free....

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My friend and I visited the 'appyfeet' salon in St David's Cardiff. We looked on the Web before going in order to find out information about opening/closing times, it states the closing time as being 6pm and no appointment necessary. As we had to travel from Newport at a peak time, we left work early in order to get to Cardiff in time, thinking the only reason we may not be able to enjoy this experience would be the queue! We arrived at the salon at 5.30pm, there was no queue but we were told that they were shutting up and the tanks had been closed!! I suggest this information is posted on the your Web site!!shirley.lewis2@wales.nhs.uk

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Fun once in a while, but the novelty soon wears off.

Appyfeet was one of the funniest experiences I have had. See for your self http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6celyd5kB0Q Definitely going to have to do it again some time very soon. It was very strange to begin with, but you get used to it after a while. Even after the hysterics from the girl in the video, she calm down eventually.

A great day out and a great, last minute Mother's Day present, for those of us who are forgetful. No appointments necessary so just turn up on the day, and pretend you have had it planned all along.

I was surprised about how clean the whole set up was, very well run. Would have liked a bit more atmosphere though, it was very empty. And the quotes on the wall have to go:

"Fish feeds the soul, and the sole feeds the fish"

It just sounds like you are going to eat the fish after they have nibbled on your feet. Not cool.

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HIghly recommended.. great fun and it WORKS!

My husband took me to Appy Feet in Chester for a birthday treat... it was great.. lovely and clean.. no waiting as it was a Monday... the initial sensation was strange but after a few giggles we both settled into a most relaxing 10 minutes... the staff were fantastic... pleasant and knew their stuff, they were helpful and chatty, they talked us through what would happen.. we got clean clogs to wear after the initial foot bath.. clean towels laid out to dry our feet afterwards and even some body lotion to apply before putting our shoes back on....and the fish... well...they did their stuff... it really was like walking on air after they had finished... would say to anyone thinking about it... JUST DO IT...a week later and my feet are still smooth and soft. We will both return for more sessions and would also have a our hands nibbled next time... FANTASTIC

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Give it a go and see what you think

I recently visited the Appy feet in York. I don't think it can have been there that long as I didn't notice when I was in York earlier in the year, but it certainely appears to be doing well as we walked past a couple of times during the day and it looked very full. There was also a sign in the window stating that they had run out of gift vouchers. For anyone who's not aware what Appy Feet is, it's a fairly new chain, who offer a treatment where you put your feet in water and little fish nibble dead skin off them. A bizzare idea I know!

Anyway, after going past a few times and seeing how busy it was, we then went later on in the day when it seemed to have quietened down. I went with my boyfriend, initially just to enquire about prices and then take it from there. We were told that if we wanted our feet done it would be £10 for a 15 minute session or £20 for 35 minutes. We could also opt to have our hands done at a cost of £5 for 5 minutes or £10 for 15 minutes.

We both decided to go for the 15 minute session on our feet at a cost of £10 each. First we had to pay and fill out a form each, to check we didn't have any medical conditions or anything like an open wound on our feet before we had the treatment. Once that was done we were told to remove our shoes and socks and roll our trousers up to above the knees, before rinsing our feet under a small shower. We were then provided with some Croc shoes to put on to walk over to where the treatments would happen.

The way it is laid out is that there are four large tanks spaced out in the room, all filled with water and the little fish, and each tank is split into four compartments. There is then a seat in front of each compartment, we got told which tank to go to, and were seated opposite eachother. The seats were large fairly comfortable leather style backless seats, and were right in front of out deignated compartments so it was easy to put our legs in the water tanks and remain comfortable. We were then provided with a clean towel each and told to put both feet into the tank at the same time and that we would be notified when the 15 minutes was up.

I made my boyfriend go first because truth be told, I was slightly scared of these little skin eating fish! He plunged his feet into the water and told me I would probably be too ticklish to enjoy it, which he was partly right about! I then went for it and put my feet in too. As soon as your feet go in, the little fish immediately go for you! There were all over the bottom of my feet, the tops of them, in between my toes, and on my legs. At first I really hated the feeling of it, it was very weird and tickled a LOT. I got used to it after a while, but it was still making me cringe whenever one of them went in between my toes! I also didn't like them on my legs, I only wanted them to eat skin off my feet! The 15 minutes went quite quickly, and I was getting more used to it as the time went on. By the end of it I was pretty much used to it, so I could have probably had a longer treatment. My boyfriend seemed to quite enjoy the treatment, as he's not ticklish I think he definitely enjoyed it more than me.

We dried our feet after the time was up, and I did think they felt quite nice, we were also provided with optional foot lotion to apply, which I did. After we dried our feet, a member of staff brought our shoes and socks over for us, and we were done.

A couple of things about Appy Feet that I didn't like much was that the treatments happen practically in the shop window, I do think they'd be nicer in a seperate room as it could be more relaxing. Also the staff really seemed like they couldn't be bothered at all and weren't really that friendly. It was nearing the end of what would have been a busy day for them, so maybe I could cut them a bit of slack!

All in all, I have mixed feelings on this treatment, but I think I would probably have it done again at some point. It would definitely be a very occasional thing though as it feels very odd and doesn't work wonders, just helps a bit. Maybe having it done on a regular basis would show some significant results but I don't think I could do that so I won't be finding out! Would definitely recommend giving it a go at least!

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Appy Feet does what it says on the label, it gives me happy feet !

AppyFeet is reported to be taking the UK by storm and I've got to agree, I have tried the AppyFeet franchise in the Trafford Centre and Gateshead's Metro Centre; however, I've noticed that other salons are now introducing the little garra rufa fish to their services.

I will come to my review shortly but first, please find a brief introduction to Appy Feet and Garra Rufa Fish pedicures:

What is AppyFeet ...

AppyFeet provide a fish spa which is a pedicure treatment which originated in Turkey and is well practised throughout the Far East. AppyFeet state that the process is a unique skin treatment massage for your feet using Garra Rufa fish.

The Garra Rufa Fish ...

Garra Rufa fish are also known as doctor fish, little nibbler (very true !!) and little dermatologist. The fish are roughly the size of a minnow and although they have no teeth, when you submerge your feet into a tank containing these little things they set away nibbling dry, hard skin leaving your feet feeling healthy and glowing.

The Benefits of a Garra Rufa Fish pedicure ...

As above, during the treatment the Garra Rufa fish nibble away at any dry, hard skin you have which according to Appy Feet will leave your feet feeling healthy and rejuvenated. The fish can also stimulate acupuncture points which can help to regulate the nervous system, relax the body and release fatigue. During the pedicure process your blood circulation and flow is greatly increased.

What does a Garra Rufa Fish pedicure feel like ...

Initially the treatment is very tickly so be warned if you have sensitive feet; however, once you get used to the feel of the nibbling it feels like a light, tingling sensation.

Is it hygenic ...

The Garra Rufa fish cannot transfer any disease to humans. Additionally, you are required to pre-rinse your feet before treatment in your own foot bath and the water within the fish pods is sterilised five times an hour ensuring the utmost hygiene.

The Review:

I was so excited when I first read about fish pedicures and was determined to give it a go, even though this involved a 4 hour round trip to my nearest Appy Feet salon; however, since then they can be found far and wide throughout the UK.

The salon itself is unmissable, branded orange and blue. Appy Feet advertise that you do not need an appointment and this is true when the salon is empty; however, I have since found that during busy periods they do offer time slots. I feel that if they operated an appointment system the salon would flow much easier as I have turned up for my allocated time slot to find the salon in chaos with two queues, one for those with timeslots and one for those without and due to the size of the salons they can ill afford this, especially as people passing by can't help but stop and watch.

Prior to your fish pedicure you are required to complete a small medical survey, this is to ensure that you are ok to complete the treatment. Appy Feet offer a Garra Rufa fish pedicure for your hands and feet, starting at five pounds for a five minute hand treatment and ten oounds for a fifteen minute pedicure. So far I have only had the fish pedicure but I am keen to give my hands a go.

Once you are good to go, you have to pop your feet into a foot bath for a few minutes to ensure that your feet are clean. The temperature of the water in these foot baths tends to vary depending on how long they have been standing, there was one occasion where it was so hot I could barely put my feet in but the staff are very obliging and change the water without fuss. Once your feet are clean, you are then given your own pod containing the hungry, little garra rufa fish. Based on my own experience, the pods seemed to be grouped together in fours with a little bench for you to sit on; however, this may vary depending on the size of the salon. Even though I have experienced this treatment several times now, it still takes me a good couple of minutes to get over the tickling sensation which can involve a small amount of screaming and pulling my feet up and out of the water with the fish still attached. However, once you overcome the intial feeling, you really start to feel the benefits of the little fish combined with a tingling sensation. The fish will nibble wherever they locate dry skin, this can be on the sole of your foot, between your toes or even on your ankle bone depending on how submerged your feet are and I've got to agree with Appy Feet, all in all (despite the initial hysteria) it is a very relaxing treatment. Once your treatment is complete you are given your own, clean towel to dry your feet and then some moisturising cream to apply. The treatment is amazing and I cannot recommend it highly enough, my feet are left looking shiney and younger looking everytime, so much so I wish they had a full body tank so the rest of my body matched. I tend to experience tingling and a slight feeling of pins and needles in my feet for a couple of hours after I've had the treatment; however, the staff have told me this is perfectly normal.

I would definitely give Appy Feet a five star rating despite the fact the salon can appear to be in total chaos when you arrive. The treatment itself is amazing and in my experience, better value for money than your regular pedicure. If you've not tried a Garra Rufa fish pedicure yet, give it a go, it will leave your feet looking and feeling amazing !

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I had heard about appyfeet from a friend who wouldn't shut up about this, i wasn't that bothered really but just to keep her quiet i agreed to go to the Trafford centre shop. After a taking what seemed like forever to put my feet in the tank the fish started to nibble of my feet, i haven't laughed so much in my life! it feels amazing, a bit like having loads of bubbles on your feet. i only payed for a 10 minute go and didn't want it to end, i was laughing so much the kind woman in charge let me keep my feet in a sneaky bit longer. after i eventually took my feet out they felt great, like i was floating almost, definately recommend it, i've been back 3 times since, and also won't stop talking about it.

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Good value pedicure with a difference

Appy feet Trafford Centre Manchester

What do you do when your husband is at a cricket match?

On the Sunday that England were knocked out of the World Cup Football and England won the One day International cricket against Australia my step daughter and i were happily wandering around the Trafford centre as my husband was at the cricket match. The centre was pretty empty as mosr people were gathered in groups watching the football.

We had treated ourselves to a nice meal in China town and were enjoying the excitements of smoothies in a cafe, free samples at Lush and looking at the shops. As we wandered around we noticed the rather strange shop that was a bit bare and looked like a cross between a new shoe shop and a [et shop selling fish. There appeared to be nothing in the shop but there were quite a few people just walking in and looking so we had a nosey.

We had found" Appy Feet" in the Trafford Centre and as it was pretty empty and a very reasonable price we decided to have a try. We had my lovely granddaughter of six months with us but she sat in her pram quite happily watching us throughout the experience.

The shop had only been open a couple of days and so it was as others have described, very uninviting, not really like a relaxed spa with soothing decor and quite music but we accepted that this was just a new place just setting up. The other problem with this being new was that we had to pay cash but I understand that has been sorted and certainly in the Derby one in the Westfield Centre cards are accepted.

What is "Appy Feet"?The Appy Feet group have shops in Meadowhall in Sheffield, Westfield in Derby and The Trafford Centre in Manchester. There are apparently plans to open more stores in other areas in the UK so look out for one coming near you.

What "appens" at "Appy Feet"?

When my daughter went to Thailand she met these lovely fish as she went swimming ina river with them. She was not that keen as they nibble away at your dead skin and she found fish nibbling at her body a bit unnerving.

Garra Rufa fish are like little dermatologists as they have little suckers which remove dry, flaky, scaly dead skin. They only eat dead skin and leave any good living stuff so no need to worry that they will chomp away at your feet like a piranha; they just eat the dead skin. They may help heal certain skin conditions such as Psoriasis and eczema. Even if you don't suffer from either of these it is great to experience this as it makes an excellent pedicure

Where are these funny feet eating fish from?

The fish were originally bred in outdoor pools and spas across hot areas of the world such as Thailand and turkey. As they became more popular they have managed to breed these fish to cope with life in heated tanks inside all around the world.

Garra Rrufa fish need careful looking after and need just the right conditions to survive. Apart from dead skin their diet needs to have the required nutrients and specific food so they cannot just be bought and shoved in the tanks just to feed on willing punters coming in to the shop.

So does everybody just stick their dirty feet in the fish tank?

No. Prior to your treatment you complete a form asking you about illnesses and feet problems and if you have any cuts on your feet. Once that is okay then you sit on a very uncomfortable high bench and put your feet in a foot spa of water to clean your feet prior to putting them in the fish tank.

The foot spas are disinfected between users but your feet are just in plain water as the fish would not fancy polluting disinfectant coming in to their tank.

What "Appens" next?

After about five minutes of foot soaking in the foot spa you are allowed to put your feet into the Garra Rufa fish tank. Each person has their own tank. The bench that you sit on is quite high so fifteen minutes was as much as I could stand with my legs hanging down into the tank as I had to sit forward and I found that my circulation was being cut off in my legs by the hard edge of the wooden benches,. I noticed a young lad og about thirteen with his mother was given a chair which was much lower and had softer edges so if i go back again i shall ask for a chair as my short little legs can't reach comfortably in to the tank from the high benches.

As you swivel around to put your feet in the tank the timer is set so that you have you allocated time that you have paid for which is good so there is no feeling short changed.

What does it feel like to be eaten by fish ?

It feels like they are kissing you or sucking lightly on your feet. It does not hurt at all and is far more pleasant than rubbing with a grater or pumice stone. They swim all over your feet and it just feels like someone is wafting a cloth over your feet, a pleasant tickling sensation but not like someone tickling your feet which I hate.

They seemed to really love one of my feet and ignore the other however when I wriggled my ignored foot they did seem to be a bit more interested. They particularly enjoyed the bits around my nails. I thought they'd love my heels but they were not so interested in those. After about five minutes they seemed to lose interest again and went in to one corner of my tank so I stuck my foot over there and that apparently renewed their interest as they swarmed over my feet again.

Feeling like a goldfish

As this was a new venture in the shopping centre there were many on lookers and people came in to the shop just to look. Many asked us what it was like and how it felt. We were happy to talk to people and a few came in and joined us after speaking to us. I think we should have got a discount as we were sitting almost in the shop window and we seen as an attraction.

If you prefer you spa treatments in private then don't go in for this as you really are a sitting advert for the place by experiencing the treatment.

And then what?

After the timer rings the assistant comes over with a towels and a small bottle of Body shop peppermint foot lotion. You dry your own feet and apply the foot lotion yourself. You put back on your shoes and leave with you light soft feet floating on a cushion of peppermint lotion and air!

Is it hygienic?The Garra Rufa fish \I am reliably informed cannot transfer diseases to humans. Everyone's r feet are pre-rinsed and each person is given their own fish tank. Sterilized water constantly flows through each of these tanks so hopefully this will ensure that the process is as hygienic as possible.

It must cost a fortune

We paid £10 for the 15 minute treatment we had and it is £20 for 35 minutes. Appy Feet also charge for a hand pedicure, its £5 for 5 minutes and £10 for 15 minutes. As we left from out treatment we were given a £5 voucher for Body Shop where they had a sale so I got a lovely body lotion free with my £5 voucher. So our experience was reduced to £5 in reality.

In summary:

We both really enjoyed the treatment. The shop was basic and it was obvious it had just opened and where not really settled in. There was no nice calm soft spa feeling about the place and no nice twinkly spa type music either. You did feel a bit as though you were part of the advert for the shop and on show to the punters and it was not a comfortable relaxed experience as the seats were so high and very hard at the edges.

However having said all that, I would happily return and will be trying the one in Derby at some time. I think this is something you either really love or hate. We both enjoyed it and have been talking about it to friends and family since our visit. I'm trying to tempt my hubby to a session at the Derby shop before we go off on our travels again as then I can have another go.

Thank you for reading and maybe I have tempted you to give this a try. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name.

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Worth doing - give it a try

Appy Feet Trafford Centre - A fun experience worth repeating. Despite the doom and gloom of previous reports I can only speak as I find and I have to say that my experience of my visit to Appy Feet was great. The staff were helpful and friendly, waiting times were only 30 - 40 minutes although it was explained that we could book for later in the day if we wanted to.Any questions we had were answered by staff who took the time to explain all about the filtration system (despite previous report that the water was dirty!!! with the system in use there is no way it could be). I did ask about the foot spas and was told that they are sanitised between customers using disinfecting agents and that the purpose of them is to clean dust and debris off your feet not to be used as a foot spa as you would at home.The shop had a lively and happy atmosphere. It was very crowded both with service users and members of the public trying to see what was going on. There is a barrier system in place to prevent the public crowding users but - alas - the public aren't always respectful of other people's personal space despite staff asking them to move back.People have complained about the booking system, I'm not sure how that could be improved. If they accept telephone bookings (they have both a telephone AND card machine - so no cash only payments) then people will complain that they can't use the service as all spaces are pre-booked, if they accept "walk ins" people will complain about the waiting periods. This appears to be a service which is a victim of its own success.All in all what I can say is that this is a great service, the place is bright, clean, cheerful, full of laughter and the staff were helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and willing to spend time with us to chat.Try it - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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PRICE EXPERIENCE OF APPY FEET

NOT THAT APPY!

VISITED APPY FEET IN TRAFFORD CENTRE SHOP WAS ON TOP FLOOR ( NOW MOVED TO LOWER FLOOR)WAS TOLD SHOP LOOKED AS IT WAS , MESSY, NO SYSTEM BECAUSE "THE TRAFFORD CENTRE " HAD MADE A MISTAKE AND PUT THEM IN A UNIT THAT WAS TOO BIG AND ONCE THEY HAD MOVED TO A SMALLER UNIT EVERTHING WOULD BE SORTED OUT, A BOOKING SYSTEM AND THE ABILITY TO PAY BY CREDIT/DEBIT CARD NOT CASH ONLY.....ANYWAY REVISTED TRAFFORD CENTRE 21/08/2010 AND SAW APPY FEET HAD MOVED TO A LOWER FLOOR. MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS EAGER TO TRY IT !!!, SO WE DID.............. here goes -THE PLACE WAS STILL VERY VERY UNORGANISED, BARE ,DIRTY LOOKING WE STILL HAD TO PAY CASH AND THE REASON FOR THE MOVE ONE OF THE ASSISANTS TOLD ME WAS THAT A TEMPORARY UNIT IS CHEAPER THAN A FIXED UNIT SO THEY WOULD BE MOVING AROUND QUITE .WE STARTED , WE PUT OUR FEET IN THE FOOT SPA BUT IT WASNT SWITCHED ON WITH HARDLY ENOUGH TO COVER YOUR FEET - MINE OR MY 8 YR OLD DAUGHTERS, WHEN I ASKED WHY? A DIFFERENT ASSISANT SAID "OH YOU DONT USE THE SPA IT JUST LOOKS BETTER THAN PLASTIC BUCKETS"!! AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO YOU THEN PUT YOUR FEET IN THE FISH BOWL, IN THE SAME WATER THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAD USED, URGH !!!!!! IT FELT SO DIRTY, THEY FORGOT TO GET US ANY TOWELS TO DRY OUR FEET AND WE HAD TO ASK AFTER SITTING WITH WET FET FOR AGES. THERE IS NO FRONT TO THE SHOP AND EVERYONE JUST COMES ALONG AND STARES . THERE WAS SLOPPS OF WATER EVERYWERE, PIPES, AND EMPTY TANKS, THE "FOOT SPAS ARE TAKEN INTO THE BACK OF THE SHOP AND CHANGED - GOD KNOW WHAT THEY DO . I DIDNT SEE ANY HYGIENE PRODUCTS , SPRAYS, ETC AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. MY LITTLE GIRL LIKED THE IDEA BUT EVEN SHE SAID IT WAS A WASTE AND WANTETED TO TAKE HER FEET OUT BEFORE HER 10 MINS WERE UP.THE FISH MUST HAVE BEEN FULL BECAUSE THEY HARDLY TOUCHED OUR FEET . WASTE OF £10.00 EACH AND MUCH BIGGER WASTE OF OUR TIME,,,THE ONLY WINNER IS WHOEVER THOUGHT OF THE IDEA MUST BE RAKING THE MONEY IN. ! CAME HOME & WASHED FEET THOUROUGHLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ! RATING 0/10 DONT BOTHER . FEET NO DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE WENT IN STILL SUSPECT WE MIGHT HAVE PICKED SOMETHING UP LAUGHABLE REALLY ! STILL NO BOOKING SYSTEM, HAVE TO PAY CASH, SUPPOSED TO FILL A HEALTH DECLARATION IN BUT WAS TOLD NOT IMPORTANT. UNTRAINED STAFF , BARE MINIMAL SHOP BUT THAT WILL BE DUE TO THE CONSTANT MOVING OF SITES TO SAVE CASH.

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It was a giggle but the effects weren't great.

Appy Feet is a highstreet store offering the now infamous fishy feet pedicure - this particular beauty procedure has received a lot of media coverage over the past few months - the fish pedicure involves Garra Rufa fish eating the dead, callas skin off your feet. The fish don't have teeth, but they suck the dead skin, resulting in you being left with smooth tootsies - allegedly.

*** What's it all about? ***

The Gara Rufa experience is a natural pedicure originating in Turkey and practised all over the Far East. The Garra Rufa fish remove your dead skin from your feet by sucking and they also massage your feet in the process.

*** Is it hygienic? ***

The Garra Rufa fish can't transfer diseases to humans. Your feet will be pre-rinsed and each person is given their own fish pod. Sterilized water constantly flows through each pod to ensure that the process is as hygienic as possible.

*** How much does it cost? ***

Prices are quite reasonable - especially considering this is the latest craze. It's £10 for 15 minutes in the tank and £20 for 35 minutes. Appy Feet also charge for a hand pedicure, its £5 for 5 minutes and £10 for 15 minutes in the tank.

*** Location, location, location ***

The Appy Feet store is currently open in Meadowhall in Sheffield, Westfield in Derby and The Trafford Centre in Manchester. However there are plans to open in Gateshead at the Metro Centre, in York at Coppergate, in Essex at the Lakeside, in Cardiff at St Davids, in Chester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Belfast, Southampton, Brighton, Peterborough, Norwich, London and Kent. So if there's not currently an Appy Feet close by, there soon will be...

*** My Experience ***

I visited the Appy Feet in the Trafford Centre with a group of friends - we excitedly rolled into the store at 7.30pm on a Wednesday evening to book in for the pedicure, as the website warns that there is often a 'wait list'. We queued for around ten minutes and we were told by staff that there was only one appointment left - at 9.40pm and that only 4 out of our group of 6 would be able to take part. This was a little disappointing, but we decided to book in regardless, so that 4 people out of our group could have this fishy experience! We were then asked to pay upfront, but we had to pay in cash because Appy Feet don't expect cards - this is worth bearing in mind if you plan on visiting, you don't want to queue for an appointment only to discover that you can't pay at the counter.

The shop itself looks extremely bare. I was expecting orange walls, comfortable waiting sofas and hand tanks so that people could have a hand pedicure, but instead the walls were bare, we were sat on what looked like a garden bench and there were only eight fish pods out of sixteen working.

We left the shop and returned five minutes before our scheduled appointment, we were then asked to fill in a short questionnaire, which asked if we'd had any recent surgery and if you had any cuts on our feet.

Ten minutes after our scheduled appointment time we were asked to step forth to the tanks. We then had to put our feet in foot spas first, mine had hardly any water in it though and I don't really think it did anything to my feet. The staff didn't check the spas either, I'm not sure if we were supposed to turn the spa on or what. A few minutes later we were then told to swivel around and place our feet in the water, while an Appy Feet assistant set a timer to ensure that we got our allotted 15 minutes with the fish.

My friends and I all looked at each other nervously as we put our feet into the water, the fish then immediately made a beeline for us. Two of my friends giggled nervously and I shouted "Oh my God I can't do this," as I whipped my feet out of the tank. After I took ten seconds to calm down, I then submersed my feet once more. As the fish ate my dead skin, it tickled like crazy and I had to stop looking at them in order to keep my feet in the water.

After a few minutes it started to feel like I had pins and needles in my feet and then nothing... the fish had disappeared, I gave my feet a shake and a few others latched on. Meanwhile, my friend Claire, who was sat opposite was being eaten alive, well that's what it looked like - Claire has the skin condition seriasis and the fish were covering her tootsies eating away at her skin.

My other friend Alison also had fish covering her, eating the skin between her toes , but the water level in her tank weren't right, the water went down really low and then the assistant went to fill it up and the water level became far too high - she was getting fish eating skin from her lower leg!

My friend Gemma also seemed to have fish swarming, however the Garra Ruffa didn't seem like me much. I wouldn't have minded but I have such dry, horrible feet and I regularly Ped Egg them to remove callas skin. When our time with the fish was up my heels looked a little cracked, but although there was lose skin there, the fish hadn't removed it.

After drying our feet off we left Appy Feet giggling, there's no doubting that this is a fun girly activity. My feet were also feeling a little tired and when I put some foot cream on them later they were a little smoother.

*** My Opinion ***

As I've already mentioned, the Appy Feet store isn't operating fully - only half the tanks work, you can't pay by card because they don't have a card terminal and the hand booths aren't yet in place. I spoke to the Appy Feet manager and she explained that the store was too big and that they were moving to a different unit within the Trafford Centre. Perhaps that explains why the store looks like it has opened a couple of months too soon. It doesn't seem complete and I'm not sure the shop workers were ready for such an influx of shoppers, eager to get their feet sucked.

The wait lists are a little annoying - we were told by assistants that we were lucky to get any appoints at all because we arrived so late (at 7.30pm), apparently they are usually fully booked by 6.00pm and at the weekends all appointment are usually booked by 10.30am! Appy Feet don't have the facility to pre-book, so if you want to visit Appy be prepared to spend a good few hours wondering around the Trafford Centre.

Although I found the fish pedicure a fun experience, I don't think I'd visit Appy again... I'd rather go to a nice, relaxing spa where you're not shipped in and out and you're able to pre-book the experience. Also, I was a little disappointed with my feet after the treatment, I think that my Ped Egg does a much better job, so I'd only go to a fish spa as an occasional fun, girly treat.

I'm sure the Appy experience will become more and more popular, but I wasn't overly impressed. Three out of five stars.